Originally Posted by
lrjackson06
I’m an orchestra director in Texas, with a good knowledge of classical violin technique. I’ve been playing mandolin casually for about ten years, but without much attention to good technique. I am trying to figure out the best left hand position for good agility and speed. I realize that the best technique for violin may not be best for mandolin, so please humor my questions.
1. Do you hold the neck between the thumb and first knuckle of the first finger? Or do you place your thumb more on the back of the neck and have it provide the back pressure for your fingers on the neck, allowing your left knuckle to drift away from the neck a little?
2. Suppose you’re playing a D scale. Would you finger the notes on the D string (D, E, F#, G) as open, first finger, second, and third? Or open, first, third, and fourth?
3. What gage strings do you use? I’m trying to find a balance between playability and tone/intonation.
Thanks again!
Bookmarks